Neurolysis
by TallyInTheGreen
Summary: A poison travels slowly throughout Naruto's veins after an assassination attempt and he has no memory of it. There's no cure-- really? Ninja take sides and help their cause as Naruto gains new symptoms every two months. NaruHina.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Well, a new story. New plot. And, this is actually something I want to do-- a chaptered story. It's going to be hard-- hopefully I will find a beta. Anyone interested?

**Disclaimer:** You know it-- Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. I don't.

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Chapter one 

The ground shook violently: the explosion ranging in impact for 20 meters from all sides. A rush of adrenaline shot through his veins and the momentary lapse urged him to cradle the blond feet away. He rushed the boy—_man_—behind an alley corner and shielded him from the flying debris. The man took a glance down at the blond in his arms; he stopped himself from gripping the blonde's muscular arms with all his might.

A deep wound at the nape: blood gushed out and soaked the man's long, spiky hair. His clothes would be disposed; the wound needed attention; the nearest escape from any more danger whirled around the man's thoughts.

Averting his gaze, the man looked back into the direction of the source of the explosion. His sight could have been impaired by that point—he wanted it to be so; he was astonished tremendously. He came face to face with a dark-hooded, grinning man. Unimaginable lengths had been taken to create the illusion of death—courtesy of the sinister figure. Coming out unscathed, the hooded man turned his back away from the two and ran toward the nearest patch of trees.

The man had landed a few punches, he was sure of it. He lacked comprehension as he gazed back down at the blond. A futile attempt of standing brought the boy to a fit of pain.

Persistent as ever, he tried once more, clenched teeth bared as he groped for support from the alley wall.

"Are you sure?" The man stepped closer: he found it nerve-racking to think that the blond could fall back and injury himself even further.

"No." The blonde's eyes shut close and he fell back into the awaiting arms of the man. Running his large hands through his long, white hair, Jiraiya swallowed a lump that had grown in his throat. He felt suffocated and let out a small gasp. Inhaling, he stood—boy cradled in his embrace, and rushed to the end of the alley.

A trail of blood followed them as the man's knowledge of the small village brought him and the boy to a large, white building: it was the nearest one for miles. It had been lucky they stayed another day: he believed, even if they had gone before, the blond would have been burdened with the same tragedy. The attack had been planned. No amateur would have detected their location without setting security measures off. The man, the hooded figure, had been sent out.

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

The day was calm and quiet. The sun shone through the open windows and birds threatened to deafen him of his innermost thoughts. He waited for a signal of reassurance to enter the door facing him. Pensive as the last weeks had brought him to be, he buried his face into his palms and closed his eyes.

From his side, a throat cleared. Lifting his head, he looked up at the disrupter of his solemn unrest and gave him an inquiring look.

"She shall see you now. Sorry for the wait, Jiraiya-sama."

Standing, he waved the man down: he shook his head in the process.

Without restriction, he entered the door across his wake. Groping for the doorknob, he shut unwanted spies out. A woman appearing in her mid-twenties, early-thirties sat behind a desk located in the center of the room. Her blond hair was done up in loose pigtails, lips painted a deep ruby red, and her grey, sleeveless blouse clung to her breasts, exposing them to anyone that dared stare.

"Glad to see that you're back—unharmed no less," she made no sign to show she would move from her seat as she smiled warmly at the man. Jiraiya smiled wearily and sat on the lavish armchair beside the desk, waiting for her interrogation.

"Are you feeling well?" Tsunade held a finger to her lips and cautiously circled them. "By now, you'd have commented my physique. Not that I wanted you to… really… But, what happened?"

Her gaze studied the man as her eyes traveled lengths to find something out of place. She burrowed her brows in frustration when he denied her to his thoughts. Tsunade crossed her arms and positioned them on the dark tabletop. "Did anything happen-?"

"It's nothing, now. I got it all covered."

"Bullshit-" The woman slammed a fist down as she withdrew from herself. She had the need to stand and threaten him with her face within inches of his, protruding his privacy, but, instantly, Tsunade took a breath and told him to elaborate. She stepped back.

Jiraiya, unlike his usual self, bit the bottom of his lip until it bled. He tasted the warm liquid run down his throat. "Well, we had a bit of a hit-and-run-"

"Please don't tell me the two of you blew up a place…" She began and stopped herself as Jiraiya shook his head vigorously. "Then, what happened? You aren't acting like yourself—did someone injure Naruto, or you? Anyone suspicious--"

Jiraiya played with his hands, taking note of the fading scars. "An assassin came after Naruto—I suppose—and he attacked us, him, and stabbed the boy with a blade. He was in a coma for twelve days. Naruto's better now—he doesn't remember all of it, just a tremendous pain, a sort of headache. Then, he was back to normal and we headed back here—nothing more…" The man began to find the flooring under his feet rather interesting. _Should I have told her...? I don't think so-- I have the situation taken care of-- she'll blame me, it was my fault--_

She found it horribly inconsiderate of him to leave such a matter unattended. She was furious and relieved to hear no long-term damage had been inflicted—it was a miracle, she believed; she would have had great difficulty healing a wound to the head. Tsunade didn't want anything to happen to some so dear to her. _As long as he's Okay... right? No-- what if- no, everything is fine now._

Anger overtook her being as she imagined a life without Naruto—someone she really felt close to: Naruto was like her little brother. She felt like crying and beating her long-life friend for betraying her so. "Why didn't you send a message?" she asked, retaining such emotions within—the emotion could not rise to the occasion and give her unnecessary strife.

"How long ago did it happen?"

"A month ago... Forgive me, Tsunade-sama—I should have sent a message, I haven't been thinking clearly as of these last few weeks… I haven't been myself--" Jiraiya took not time to look up at the woman—he didn't give her a chance to give him a beckoning, small, sympathetic smile. She had wanted to smack him; she still did. Now, she sighed and walked to Jiraiya's side. Taking a seat on the armrest—Tsunade placed a warm, accepting hand upon his shoulder.

"Alright-- I want him safe, you understand that..." Tsunade paused as Jiraiya nodded his head slowly. "How has Naruto grown? Hope you haven't corrupted his innocent mind-"

Jiraiya chuckled carelessly for what seemed like the first time in weeks. Tsunade never failed to grace him with her gentle and soothing voice. "His mind wasn't innocent to begin with—how could I be responsible for how he acts if he was just meant act that way? It was always inside of him."

"Don't tell me you're proud of that-!"

"Not just of that—though it's a great accomplishment. Naruto's chakra control has stabilized and he's learned more techniques then I would have expected him possible of. He's patient now—though, he can be a great big kid when he wants be--"

"Just like you--... I want him to get some rest," she begun slowly. "Can you please tell him to stop by when he's settled in?"

He nodded in response. They grew quiet and sat in an inviting silence. They embraced each other's presence and allowed following events take place.With a touch and a reach, it was like everything was alright again.

The white-haired man stood and made hence for the door. "It wouldn't hurt to release the jutsu. You're just as beautiful--"

"Get out…" Tsunade playfully glared at the man and added: "It wouldn't hurt for you to learn a jutsu like mine for once. You look terribly old."

The man chuckled and shut the door carefully.

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

It was morning in the village of Konoha. The trees swayed gently in the breeze. The sun shone down and warmed the shadows. The forests and training grounds were silent and tranquil—the streets rustled with life as it woke.

A blond walked aimlessly, hands deep in his pockets, aware but carefree of the world around him. Spotting familiar sites and faces made him smile and feel glad to be home.

Walking into a small restaurant, he beckoned two men sitting at the bar. He was a greeted warmly and waited for a story to be told of everything that he had missed.

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R&R. Please. 


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter two

The men sat, ordered a platter of beef and, when the order came, Naruto and Shikamaru watched in blind gazes as Chouji hungrily prepared the meat. Three years ago, the blond could have never imagined a time in where he would find himself in such company. They had never been on friendly terms, but their paths had crossed too frequently that they had grown to cherish the small, amiable relationship as colleagues. Surprisingly, he trusted the man and found he could come to the brunette with any issue or difficulty.

Naruto had thought the man trusted him: the man had come to the blond, pondering the ways Naruto kept happy and cheerful. Shikamaru had then wished him a great leave. The orange-clad ninja of then would have never imagined such a feat as important.

He smiled and stroked the clear glass. Grasping it, he brought the rim of the cool material to his lips. Parched as ever in the cloud of steam, water moistened his lips and replenished his dry throat as the liquid filled his mouth: droplets of water raced down his chin sloppily.

"You've changed, Naruto. You aren't as troublesome as before." Shikamaru had spoke, bringing Naruto to meet the brunet's dark eyes. He had hoped for even the slightest second more of silence: the sound that came from heated rack of meat brought an odd, deafening calm.

A toothy smirk spread across the blonde's tanned face as he reached to refill his glass. "Maturity kicked in. I hope you noticed. I was louder back then, huh?" Naruto felt indifferent to the man's presence and swallowed more water. "How've you been? Done anything interesting?"

Shikamaru positioned his chin on the palms of his hands and sighed. He tugged on his green vest lazily. "I teach at the Academy--"

"Isn't that too troublesome for you?" Naruto could not help but exclaim and bring his speech to an incredulous tone.

The two grinned like madmen. "You'd think that, wouldn't you? No… every other option I was given was far more troublesome. The Godaime's assistant, Special Jounin rank, AnBu ranked officer: at one point, they tried to force feed me with the task of translating between countries!"

"You want to stay a Jounin—you can go much farther! You could do better things than teach!" the blonde couldn't help it, a sense of euphoria hit him when he realized he could help someone be better—he couldn't allow others to settle for second best when he was going for the best job in the country.

Shikamaru chuckled. "Who's thinking ahead of time, now? The future is so far away for us! Not as far as I'd hope but far enough…"

"I'm not worried about your future! I'm worried about mine— I'm still a Genin! I have to find someway to become Hokage!" Naruto groaned and crossed him arms harshly, pouting.

The green clad man howled as he leaned back. "You're still not on that shit—_sorry_. Of course, I believe you think you will make it. But, it's ridiculous."

Naruto laughed along with Shikamaru, ignoring any further insult. He then whined jokingly, "I don't really need to know that you think it's ridiculous. Anyway--"

Shikamaru cocked a brow as the blond changed the topic. "How've you been with the ladies? You still seeing…?"

The man felt a small blush rise to his cheeks. "Yes, I am…"

Naruto couldn't believe he yearned to ask the perverse questions within his mind. He'd learned from the best—and he couldn't believe why he had allowed such training to take place! "How's the action?" He kept the question small and discreet.

Oblivious to his surroundings, Chouji attacked the grilled meat without a single glance at the two. His childhood friend had just possibly admitted to the most embarrassing and imaginative thing as if it were nothing and he felt not a single drop of curiosity.

Shikamaru left Naruto on the verge of laughter as the blond made small gesticulations. In the two sentences he responded with, he had replied with the fact he was being whipped and pushed around and had never dominated in the case of anything and everything.

"I didn't expect you to get that far… I don't care if she's whipped you firm—you've actually--!" Before he was able to announce his revelation of Shikamaru's love life to the entire restaurant, the brunet teen coolly ran his hand onto the blonde's mouth and narrowed his eyes menacingly.

"Mixed company…" ignoring a few curious eyes, he stood.

"A few of us are getting together tonight. I will meet you at the Hyuuga Compound. Neji's hosting this little outing…" In the act of protesting, Shikamaru added that Naruto had actually been invited. The Hyuuga had had some news of his arrival date prior to the day.

"See you then, right?" Naruto nodded firmly and stood as well. "Chouji?"

"Leaving already? I'll pick up the tab. I'll stick around a while longer," he assured the brunet, ordering an additional platter of raw beef. No doubt, the teen would say until he was satisfied.

"When should I head to the Compound?"

"Around nine."

"Any chance of me bumping into the guys before that?"

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

Leaving through the back door, Naruto ambled aimlessly, blinded by the joy of familiar sites of Konohagakure. He could not help to remember how much he missed the place. He could not decide where he should head first. His apartment: to find a mess needing a few rats exterminated—no. The training field: It was a Saturday; he would find a fight there but was he actually ready to do that yet? No. The academy: No one would be there; no classes were given early in the morning. The Hokage Tower: debriefing was still in order. Naruto felt the need to avoid that until later.

When he came to a corner, something dawned upon him: the familiar smell of ramen wafted around him. Like an excited child, he sprinted down the street and followed his nose to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

His appetite carried him until he faced the white flaps of the stand. Once the nostalgic feeling surpassed, he pushed back the screen and walked in.

Two woman sat at the bar as they silently conversed over there bowls of ramen. He immediately recognized them. Three years ago, Naruto had not thought of them as women; they had been nothing more than fellow ninja. He had thought they were awkwardly strange or timid, or bossy. Once he had been partnered with them though, his mind had been changed. They were nice, smart, interesting, and kicked a lot of ass.

One had touched him in ways he had never thought a person could. He had never felt so much love from anyone, not even any of his friends he had thought he was close to. She had opened his thick skull and way of thinking and broadened his mind. He knew he should never think of her as anything less than his closest friend.

"Ladies, room for me between the two of you?"

He grinned as their postures straightened and the conversation stopped mid-sentence. The two did not dare look back until he placed his hands upon their slender shoulders. The shock of his return must have really stunned them. Ultimately, they spun in their seats jerkily.

Naruto thought their expressions were priceless as there mouths, figuratively, fell to the floor and their glistening eyes grew wide. He hoped they were glad to see he was back—

"Naruto, you're back?" the louder and far more outgoing woman of the two began laughing out of pure bliss. She was so shocked that she could not help give him a slight hug.

"No, I haven't come back. I'm obviously not here. No--!" Naruto chuckled and faked an injury as she playfully punched him. "Tenten, why the abuse? No fair!"

"Don't make fun of me!"

Naruto turned to the other girl and Tenten moved over a seat allowing him to rest his elbows on the counter. "How've you been, Hinata?"

She had been to shy and waited for her turn to talk to the blond. "I've been…great. Better now that you're back…"

First thing Naruto noticed; Hinata's stutter was nowhere to be heard. She still had her soft tone of voice but that was one of the great things about Hinata, Naruto decided. Then, he noticed she let her hair grow out, past her chest; it fell gracefully down over black blouse.

Oh, then, the outfit she wore was different than what Naruto had accustomed himself to. Along with the loose blouse that exposed her developed cleavage, she wore tight, dark Capri pants, and as spotted beside her arm, the large sweater that sported the Hyuuga family emblem.

"Of course you are! I mean, I'm sure you missed me—who wouldn't. Hinata… you don't stutter anymore..." He gave her his trademark grin and watched her blush. He noticed how much she had change over the last three years. He found her far more attractive than he ever had, if he even had before. He could say that about Tenten.

"You're still so cocky, Naruto!" Tenten said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked to her and smiled. His cerulean eyes shone brightly and he chuckled carelessly.

She'd changed too. Damn his perverted mind. Damn that perverted sensei of his. If only his mind hadn't been on those terms, he'd find this meeting less of a surprise upon his raging hormones. Yet, he hid all emotion, spilling his carefree-self to them.

He grew silent until he grasped onto Tenten's hand. "How have you been? Not throwing knives at poor, innocent Lee, right?"

The brunette laughed and Naruto saw her buns bounce; without a doubt, he knew her hair was longer than it used to be. And the thought filled his mind, as he wanted to break the confines of the long locks and see them fall graciously.

Tenten protested, "He was totally bothering me that one time! Remember, he was mimicking me and taunting me…!"

"I think we all were!" He noted no change in the woman's wardrobe; only the pink clad top had more to offer his perverse mind.

Changing the conversation, he sat down and ordered a bowl while Teuchi, the owner, expressed his happiness of his arrival. He looked onto Hinata and she smiled shyly. That smile of hers always trapped Naruto onto her, studying her thoughts. "What have been up to, Hinata?"

Her emotional outburst was meant to occur no less than a minute ago. She could not understand how she had not fainted or embarrassed herself was the many times she had three years ago. Yes, she had to admit that with the help of Ino, Sakura, and Tenten, her shyness and inability to talk without a stutter had helped her with this. Naruto was sitting next to her, inches away from her face. It was nothing how she would have imagined.

Out of her wildest dreams, she had hoped for a revelation in terms of Naruto's undying love for her. He would kiss her softly at first, then with a deep passion. The blonde's hair would flip attractively and she would run her hands in his hair. Really, her dreams caused her blush.

But, he was only her friend. Naruto mentioned the possibility that she might have been his best friend: the silvery-eyes Hyuuga had held onto those words for the last couple of years through training with her father, Hiashi, Neji, and occasionally the Godaime.

Her kekkai genkai and medical skills were far greater than most ninja. Hinata was no Sakura though.

"She's been training under the Tsunade-sama with Sakura and has been improving alongside Neji—"

He did not attempt to look at the brunet. His attention was all for the shy, blushing friend of his. "Is that so? Well, I think I will have to get better myself. I don't want you outshining me…" His voice was so soft, so gentle that Hinata could not help but embrace him.

"Good to have you back…"

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

Hormonal women with nothing to do on Saturday mornings are left with the option of grouping at one of the houses shared among them as a sanction of peace and gossip. Away from the men in their life, the group of four met at Tenten's family dojo and giggled at a newfound love, however dull it may have been.

"And then he was like, 'you take my breath away, I need you in my life, doll face' and of course, I kissed him gently and told him to meet me tonight! Isn't that great!"

"No. He just wants you for sex," the pink-haired girl stopped all her merry laughter and confronted the group's overly active member. "Ino, haven't you learned anything? Men are just kind to you until you give them what they want--!"

"Then why are you and Lee still together after all these years, he can't be gay, now, can he?"

"Okay, first of all, if he were gay—he wouldn't be with a female, and second, he's just one of the few men in this village that are sincere, hardworking and true to their word--!"

"Did I ever say anything about him not being with a man, my dear?

"I swear: you two just can't stop! Can you?" Tenten made way to interfere with another of Sakura and Ino's quarrels. "We have better news for you to indulge on…"

Ino and Sakura dropped their hands to their sides and looked to the brunet. Nothing was worth really fighting about unless it was over who got the last say on a guy.

"Naruto's back…" Hinata spoke from her comfortable chair as she blushed.

Tenten stood hastily, clasping her hands together. "And he's so adorable—no: sexy." She smirked toward Hinata and sat back down with a moments waste.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, look at the man you're dating. Neji isn't all that great—!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about…"

"Finally, Sakura, we have something you agree upon!"

Sakura and Ino interchanged in their own little conversation as they teased Tenten. There was absolutely no way the two would ever think Neji unattractive.

The brunet narrowed her eyes at the two and forgot about their mannerisms. The moment before she burst on them, Sakura began to laugh and placed her hand upon Tenten's shoulder. "We're only kidding, calm down."

Ino crossed her legs and slid down toward Hinata, her eyes glistening with the joy Hinata's face brought. The woman smirked and cocked a brow. "You must be happy."

Hinata turned away and crossed her arms. She brought her head down and said, "I don't know what you're talking about--"

"Oh c'mon, Hinata! You're sixteen, never had a boyfriend, and you practically have no social life. You can't deny that you want Naruto's affection."

Tenten came to Hinata's rescue. "Ino, leave her alone. You know how she gets."

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Author's Note:

Alright, I need to know if I've made any of the girls too girly or if the charactersitics of anyone should be altered. I know it's my story and all but, I don't want to have everyone out of character. I hope you enjoyed chapter two. I took me a while to write. So, please review.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Notes:_ Oh my god. I think I totally ruined this chapter, rushing the feel of this chapter. I have other projects that I'm working on, as some of you may know, and I can't just think about this one without thinking of the others. And, if you find any grammatical error here and there, let me tell you, I did not mean to leave them there; I have school work that must be done and that saddens me. So, if something doesn't flow, blame the 'Finding's paragraph I have to write. That's the only reason I rushed (other than chapters three for **both **Selfish and Scandalous_ and_ Chouji's chapter for Dreams of Konoha. I'm so busy aren't I?

I'm sorry for the delay, I won't let it happen again. No promises though.

Read. Love. Review, possibly?

Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto

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Chapter three

Pacing her office nervously, time went by and the hours began adding up. She really hoped Naruto would burst in, bringing complete chaos and disarray with him. How she wanted him to storm in and slam his fists upon her desk, demanding a mission. That would assure her that the blond was better than ever and that he knew nothing of what had happened to him—she would not want Naruto holding a grudge against his attacker, ensuing another chase throughout the country.

As she bit down on her ruby-red nails, the calm surroundings taunted her with the distant clicking of her heels pounding the floor.

In actuality, Tsunade had not felt like herself as of recently, and she had a nagging feeling it had something to do with her fears. Whenever she gazed down upon the village from the Hokage Tower, she could not help but feel responsible for anything that happened… even if it was something that did not concern her. As Hokage, she felt as though everything had to concern her, because it was her village; it was like caring for a family. Most families had problems: the mother loved to blame herself for anything that went wrong.

She yearned, more than ever, for praise from someone other than her assistant, Shizune, and for something she did that had nothing to do with her job. Tsunade felt withdrawn and lonely even when her close friends surrounded her.

Tsunade, so out of her element, had not even noticed the man's presence in the room. It was not until he cleared his throat that she snapped out of her daze and stopped, turning to face him.

"Tsunade baa-chan, it's great to see you're still alive." The voice was serious and harsh and, forgetting that he enjoyed sarcasm, it made her angry. Her eyes narrowed as she stomped toward the man; Tsunade had never taken lightly to Naruto's antics.

She bonked his forehead and smirked as the man staggered backward, whining. "Not so great, is it? That's going to hurt for a while—don't think you can make fun of me, Naruto!"

The blonde grinned casually and dropped his arms to the side as he straightened out, standing tall. Tsunade smiled and brought her hands to her face as tears threatened to spill. "Oh, Naruto. You are so tall."

The man embraced her and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Tsunade-sama, how've you been?"

"Oh, I'm better now that you've returned. Please tell me Jiraiya took care of you."

"He did. Don't worry—" Naruto grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away, grinning. "He showed me lots…"

Thoughts ran through her head as she hoped Jiraiya had not given the boy a full lecture on the secrets of peeping. She hoped Naruto's mind had not been corrupted by that old man. "Please, tell me, what did that pervert teach you? Did you sneak around bathhouses and spy on woman—if you did, you're in for it, Naruto."

Naruto laughed, backing away, holding his arms out in resistance. "It wasn't my idea of fun, believe me. But, it did help with keeping my guard up—"

The two bickered about his responsibilities now that he could keep his own against his sensei and Tsunade felt a gush of emotion fill her. Then, she realized she would return to her normal self, Naruto and his childish mannerisms would help her. But, he had grown into a man—a young one at that—and she could not treat him like a child anymore.

"I'll see to it that you get a long break—that sound good to you, Naruto? You must be tired…" the woman hoped the blonde was not in the mood for a mission. She wanted to keep an eye on him. After what had happened to the boy—it was more than necessary to have him supervised—

"If you insist…" the man nodded and turned to head out the door. "See you later, baa-chan—"

"Naruto, wait," she paused and brought a finger to her lips, thinking. "How did you get into my office without me noticing? Was I _that_ out of it?"

"I'd like to say that I'm that skilled to not have anyone recognized my presence--!"

"Not a chance," Tsunade called after him as the man closed the door behind him. She sighed and chuckled. She stared at the door for what seemed like hours until she sat behind her desk. "Welcome back, Naruto."

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

The hours had passed by lazily as he had anticipated the little get-together with few of his old friends. He, by no means, had gone the length in searching for any of the boys and had decided to find Tenten and Hinata after his meeting with Tsunade.

He had felt as though Hinata had something on her mind because she wouldn't talk unless he initiated a conversation, snapping her out of her daze-like walk. Tenten had tried to explain, saying 'Hinata just doesn't feel well, that's all' but Naruto did not believe her. He wondered if Hinata even wanted his company. Neverthless, he decided it would be best to stick around the two, hoping they would occupy his time.

Hinata and Tenten led Naruto to the Hyuuga compound. Along the way, Naruto had noticed Hinata warm up to him, walking alongside him; they talked about Hinata's success over the years and Naruto's ambitions. The minutes rolled by, and he remembered the good old days, when he and Hinata used to stroll around the quiet streets and talk about practically anything...

Soon enough, the three arrived at the rendezvous point, as he marveled at the entrance. Naruto, Hinata and Tenten in tow, walked into the gated confines of the Hyuuga Residence. Reluctantly, he looked around, wanting nothing more than to find Neji in the large, vast gardens. The tall, twisted vines crawling up the walls and the tall trees bursting with cherry blossoms amazed him and gave him reason to believe that the rest of the garden would be just as magnificent.

"Naruto, through here!" Tenten grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his, guiding him through the twists and turns that sculpted the Compound; Hinata followed, eyes narrowed.

A door, after what seemed like secret passageway after another, appeared before them. Tenten flung her body foward, opening it. She tugged at Naruto again and he followed as he spotted a dark-haired, silvery-eyed man; Neji Hyuuga sat underneath a large, white canopy.

Naruto grinned nervously, scratching his head, as he spotted Neji's eye's narrow. "This is the first time we meet in three years and I find you holding hands with my girlfriend—"

Slowly, the blond's eyes widened as he hastily pulled away from the brunette. He felt himself flush under Neji's gaze. "Neji-kun, cool it. Don't worry—don't be jealous." Tenten kissed his cheek softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, sorry, Neji—didn't know. How was I supposed to know," Naruto stated slowly, looking away.

The four of them were silent, a lingering feeling of nostalgia buzzing around them. Then, Neji cleared his throat. "You girls have to leave. Hinata, take Tenten to your room."

As Tenten began to protest, Neji swooped down and kissed her passionately, whispering something in her ear. Naruto felt out of place as he and Hinata exchanging glances; _poor Hinata, she must feel even more embarrassed than I do_, thought Naruto as he noticed Hinata blush.

Hinata and Tenten walked out of the gated part of the garden. Then, Hinata looked back, smiling at Naruto. "See you later then?"

Naruto returned the smile, nodding. "Yeah, of course."

The two left and Naruto exhaled. He turned to Neji and took the seat across from him. Without a moment's rest, the man greeted Naruto with his usual charm; he explained how would not allow any of the crap Naruto used to pull and he would not resist hurting him. It made Naruto feel as though Neji had finally realized he should not let anyone control what he did.

"So, who else is coming?" Naruto casually asked as he leaned forward, inquiring Neji with a cocked brow.

"I guess whomever actually wants to see you." Nonchalantly, the Hyuuga shrugged.

After that, Naruto kept to himself, quiet because he could not stand the way Neji was talking to him. The blond noticed that Neji wasn't acting rude, sarcastic or however Neji used to act back in genin days, but, it still felt strange looking the man in the eye; it was just awkward.

No more than five minutes passed when Shikamaru and Lee arrived, Kiba and Shino following. From what Naruto had experienced from Shikamaru and Neji's first appearance, he expected nothing more from the other three men. But, as soon as they spotted Naruto, clad in black and orange, Kiba and Lee ran to run, jumping on him: Shino kept himself in line, sitting by Shikamaru.

"Naruto-kun, you're back—we're glad! The spirit of youth kept you safe as you traveled home, yes…?" Lee was the first to greet Naruto properly, rambling on about something or another.

"Dude, can't believe you're this fucking tall," Kiba made mad gesticulations directing their focus on his height. "You used to be short! Now—bastard, you are taller than I am! What else is changed—?"

Naruto grinned carelessly, chuckling. He stepped back and aimlessly shot his hand behind his back, rubbing his head. "Great to see you guys, too." Then, out of nowhere, Naruto fell to the floor, Kiba and Lee dog piling on him.

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

Alone in Tenten's company, Hinata shied away from whatever the woman had in mind for fun. Once they had entered to Hinata's bedroom, she had suggested they change into some of Hinata's finest clothes and storm out into the night, finding some lonesome men out there. Hinata had to remind her of Neji and Naruto before Tenten claimed she had only been kidding; she would never cheat on Neji, she stated.

Then, the brunette had almost convinced the silver-eyed woman into slipping into Neji's bedroom and making havoc of it but, Hinata had decided against it, realizing her cousin would probably kill her, even after Tenten's attempt at persuading him otherwise.

Ultimately, the two lazily flopped down onto the large tatami mat near the corner of the room, defeated. Hinata turned to stare at Tenten when she noticed she had the strangest look on her face, as if she had been waiting for Hinata to turn. Shaking of a fit of shivers, the Hyuuga arched a delicate, fine brow, waiting for Tenten's inquiry.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, wondering whether she would get straight answer out of her younger friend: Hinata had never been the one to blurt out secrets or plans out to the world, unless the world figured what she had in store before she even knew she had it planned. Rarely could Hinata trust Tenten; Sakura and Ino always seemed to poke at her, loosening all ties and promises.

Hinata inhaled deeply, and closed her eyes. "I…I don't know. I mean, what am I _supposed_ to do?" For a moment, she felt as though if she had the choice, reverting to her old shy, stuttering self would suit her well, making her happy. What was she supposed to do... fling herself around Naruto until he fell in love with what he _saw_...?

"Be yourself… and try to establish a new relationship with him, like the one you two had before he left…" Tenten said, crawling underneath the sheets.

Hinata smiled softly. "And I half-expected you to tell me to throw myself on him…"

They grew silent, and Hinata crawled in next to Tenten, snuggling up in the sheets. "Why's that?"

Honestly, she had not a reason to believe what she had said. It is not as if she believed Tenten had done the same with her cousin; he had never had a girlfriend before Tenten and he had never seemed like one to fall into traps set by whores. Hinata hoped she had not offended her, thinking that Tenten was like Sakura or Ino.

"I don't know," Hinata replied hesitantly.

"Whatever."

* * *

_Author's Notes: _How was that? Do you hate me or did you love this? Well, review and tell me what I should do next. If you don't steer my ideas, I might just end up writing something you won't like.

Please Review, my lovelies.


	4. Chapter 4

_The longest wait, I know. However, I just had a lot of distractions and such. But, I'll try to work through them. Please enjoy this--  
_

Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Chapter 4

Darkness appeared to loom over the lair, sustaining the evil the place withheld from the outside beauty of the grounds. The grey walls and pillars supporting the malice within was only a sufficient amount, as with every new development in jutsu and information trusted to them, the bigger the building needed to be.

Traveling through the dim halls and passageways, light diminished with the faintest trail left. As the studies and experiments were what kept the ninja occupied, low maintenance around building stabilized, welcoming creatures and acrid smells to air.

However, apart from the dilapidating rooms, there, located near the back, stood a vast and lavish room that accommodated the man in charge of it all. Now, he, his apprentice, and assistant awaited the arrival of a guest, you see. The air in the room was rigid and intoxicating, keeping what would seem manic and deranged men from going crazy in the uncomfortable silence.

The time they spent without a word shed or thought voiced was undeniably harsh until, losing the last bit of respect for the moment, the youngest spoke. "Are you planning on explaining what you've done before he gets here? If it had something to do with—"

"It doesn't, and it isn't of your concern and won't be until I see it fit to tell you. _If _I ever see it fit to tell you." The eldest man, responding too quickly, said. "Besides, you haven't proven that you respect me. You haven't shown me that little stunt of yours was nothing more than a sort of teenage angst than an attempt of disobeying my direct orders."

Silence resumed as the third ninja in the room looked away, inhaling deeply, creating a barrier for the unfriendly murderous intent threatening to consume them all.

"Ah, and here he comes," stated the elder, his voice rugged and hoarse.

"Wouldn't it be wise to send Sasuke out? After all, you don't want him listening do you—?" asked the third man in the room.

The man with the hoarse voice gave a laugh, sending the third man a cold gaze. "Now, now, Kabuto, I need him here. I never said I would not let him figure out what I have done. If he is smart enough to derive a conclusion, he will not need to prove anything to me. Isn't that right, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke huffed silently as he turned away from the man. He chose to ignore the small laughter coming from the man's direction and glared toward the room's door, as it swung open.

A man clad in black attire bowed beneath the doorframe, his head tilted up as he watched for recognition. It was given and he continued into the room. A metal mask tattooed with a deep pulsating vein covered his face or gash over his left eye that ran from eye to the bottom. Upon further inspection, Sasuke and Kabuto alike supposed the domineering facial features appeared to penetrate through the mask. The mask permitted the man sight, his dark eyes formidable and keen. A black robe rested upon his shoulders, his metal face piercing through a dark shadow created from his hooded covering.

"Is it done?" The elder man asked as he gestured the man at his feet. He was very blunt, or so Kabuto believed. Kabuto knew the man was anxious for the news, in which diverted him from thinking clearly as to how he addressed people, forgetting to keep his presence of one ruling. Was he afraid the boy escaped the encounter with the help of his foolish teacher?

"Yes, straight through the back of his head. The man you warned me about couldn't even land a hit on me," said the man clad in black. "I hope you are satisfied with my success, Lord Orochimaru." As the man in the hood's anxiety rose as he awaited praise, the gash throbbed in black tinted dexterity. As he waited, Orochimaru's snake-like eyes took his time absorbing the man's figure.

Retrieving a small flask filled with crimson liquid out of his carrying bag, the man remembered the importance of it, hastily raising it to level Orochimaru's sight. Diligently, he tossed it to Kabuto as he was addressed to do.

"Excellent," remarked Orochimaru. Kabuto held the flask to the light, and allowed the man to marvel at it with a power hunger thirst, "This contains the poison as well, correct, Satoshi?"

Satoshi, the man with the mask, nodded reverently.

"You may go, now. Kabuto will guide you out," Orochimaru said.

"Thank you." Satoshi stood, veins beating harmoniously with his relief of knowing he had been acknowledged.

"No, thank you. You'll be remembered for this." Sasuke glared at Satoshi, searching for a sign of weakness. What would he need to do to get answers to his questions from the man? _How daft can he be? Overwhelmed at his acceptance, it's given to anyone that gives Lord Orochimaru anything. _

Guided by Kabuto, Satoshi walked out of the room, taking all the tension with him. Sasuke would not allow Orochimaru to discover his disturbance as he ambled to the foot of the bed the man lay in.

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

The brilliant moon shone with marvelous opalescent light. It sparkled upon all surfaces, bringing a serene sort of scene to the room. Silence overrode the chirping crickets, the odd buzzing that tickles the inside of ears when sleep is needed and warmth is welcomed, and mute unrealistic dreams that creep upon the unexpected.

Straining her eyes to keep from falling, she rubbed her temples, stretching the area's skin in a relaxing massage. As tired as she was, after a long day's worth of work, relaxing her mind and soothing her aching joints came normally to her. However young she looked, she knew her body was growing weak and needed attention.

Inhaling deeply, she held her breath until her lungs throbbed for air. Then, a soft pound came across her door, and she tilted her head up. Oddly, she held her breath again as a hesitant voice called out. The familiarity and security the voice held brought calm to her soul. Knowing the door was unlocked; she cleared her voice and declared her presence. "Come on in—"

Without a moment's wait, Jiraiya strolled in cautiously smiling. He waved to her and shoved his hands in his pockets.

She made no advance in his direction, giving him a false impression that inclined she did not desire his presence. She _wanted _company; talking, just talking, took the mind numbing sensation from her sleep deprived self. The man's liveliness was something she needed, wanted. Maybe that energy the mass of wrinkles held would emit enough to spare.

Peaking through strands of blonde hair, she spotted Jiraiya lounging on the green couch, patiently waiting an audience. _That's rather kind_, Tsunade thought, _why can't he act like this when he has to?_

"So, why are you here?" she asked kindly, sighing as she got a good look at his vigorous face.

"I was just in the area and… wanted to see how you were," he stated nonchalantly.

"Liar," she retorted. "You never come by to see me unless you want something, want to try and seduce me, or something wrong has happened. So, tell me, what is it?"

"I can't just come by and see you?" It was a simple question to say the least, a very simple question. And there was a simple answer.

"No." Tsunade stated. "You couldn't have known I was here, anyway... You can here purposely."

"That's right; I didn't know you were here. I was hoping you would be, though," he said, sighing. He ran his fingers through his gray hair and grinned cockily. "You do look rather tired, why don't you leave with me and head to my apartment—?"

Jiraiya waggled his brows as Tsunade's anger woke and began nagging her thoughts. "Are you fucking serious? You can't be serious—you came to my office at," Tsunade glanced at the wall clock on the opposite, slightly aghast, "at 1:41 just to try and see whether I'd be foolish enough to even listen to you?"

"Hold it…" The man brought his hand up, hoping she would resist the urge to hop out from behind her desk, from her chair, to the couch and pound him. He did not have the energy to fight back her strong striking movements. "I was just fooling around. I really do have a reason for coming here."

"So, what is it?" She had not even risen from her chair, her fingers massaging her forehead.

For the oddest reason, Jiraiya shake off the feeling he had whenever he thought hard upon Tsunade's motives and moods. There had been long nights when he had spent Naruto (grueling training sessions and such), the poor little thirteen year old falling straight to sleep. On those nights, he had had time to lie awake, pleased with his apprentice's success and his ability to do whatever the hell he wanted without his niggling, large breasted friend back in Konoha telling him what not to do or say. Then, as soon as his thought ventured from his day's finds for his next dirty novel to back to his first home, daydreams of Tsunade came to mind. It might have been his urges but, most of the time, he wondered whether she was okay, whether he really did bother her as much as she stated.

As of the day he and Naruto arrived back in Konoha, after his meeting with Tsunade, he pondered whether he was wrong. What if something bigger than him was happening, and because he could be as dense as Naruto at times, he was just too clueless to get the point?

Was she suffering from stress, had a threat against her village been sent, were enemy nin holding some poor child hostage? He did not know, and that was his main concern. It was not because he was overprotective, though. Knowing Tsunade had other worries other than his foolish little antics was what bothered Jiraiya because for the longest time, since their youth, he had been her own personal leech. A leech that enjoyed messing with his self-conscious underdeveloped young genin—it had been nice while it lasted. But, he wanted nothing more than to remain the only bother.

"Answer this truthfully," he began, finally. "Is anything wrong?"

Then, as though to answer his thoughts, she replied morosely, "Actually, yeah. I did not want to discuss this topic with you until it was a sure thing but I cannot help but wonder whether Naruto's encounter with the assassin was how described it—"

Jiraiya's interest heightened to a point where he had to sit up and lean forward. "Are you suggesting I may have twisted the situation?" The question was not asked in hopes of upsetting Tsunade, but, it sure seemed like it did as she shot up, alert.

Her eyes grew weary as soon as her temporary shock sank and she sighed. The man shied away from letting relief overwhelm him; the blonde was a powerhouse of anger, and at any moment, she could direct that anger at him if she wished to. "It's not that. I just—what if it wasn't an assassin?"

"What are you insane? The man came after Naruto and tried to kill him—!"

"From what you told me before, you told me you couldn't even stop him from stabbing Naruto! It seems to me that he was strong enough to slip by Naruto—strong enough to slip by you."

"And what does that tell you?"

"Well," she prodded the idea, her index fingers pushing against the table. "If he was sent to kill Naruto, then, he could have easily done it. I'm glad that didn't happen, but this one idea comes to mind. What if the assassin had an entirely different reason to flee and leave Naruto injured and leave without killing him immediately— what if he was not sent to kill Naruto?

"The weapon, the one that he used, did you keep it?" Tsunade asked.

Jiraiya sputtered nervously and said "No. You see —"

"What happened? Did the assassin take it?"

"No. But—" The man bit his lip, looking away.

Tsunade's brows furrowed as she sent him an inquiring gaze. "The dagger sort of _sunk _into Naruto neck's…"

The woman was far from flabbergasted, her eyes widening, her breath shortened to a series of questionable sucks of air. She shook her head as to clear her head of the new, horrifying discovery. "_What—?" _Tsunade managed to keep the unbelievingly loud outburst to something like a whisper.

"We can investigate…" Jiraiya began and leaned forward waiting for her to continue his thought.

She sighed, exasperated, and nodded. "Yes…We can investigate everything more clearly once we both get some rest, don't you think?"

"Sure, but I still don't think we can discover anything without a lead. And with one, what can we even learn from looking into the assassin's purpose, if he had one—" Jiraiya reasoned, his voice rising, his temper flaring.

"How can you think that? Everyone is driven by a motive. He must have had one," she stated, correcting his train of thought. "Think about it, what if…?"

Nervously, Tsunade bit her lip as she sat up straight, her eyes pleading for his understanding. He tilted his head back in exasperation, his hand striking the thick air suffocating his thought. He did not want to face the facts, he knew it was something he had to do but it pained and scared him to do so. Jiraiya had been the one to tell Tsunade about the risk Naruto was in since the age of twelve but the reason he had taken the boy was to train him so he would no longer stand at risk. If the woman's theories were correct, his training might have been vain. She could not sustain his fears with her foolish logic. She would not.

"What, Tsunade?" he asked, rancor dripped through the creases and loose ends of his voice. _Don't say it—_ "Akatsuki has to do something with this," she proclaimed; it wasn't a question, much more of a statement. An undeniable truth settled as Akatsuki revealed itself as a reason for the boy's accident—attack.

"No. Not yet—" Jiraiya protested, ignoring her and the truthful possibility that things could change in a heartbeat for the _greater good_ of the village.

"What will you succeed with fooling yourself? If we don't look into this, we will be risking Naruto's safety," the woman said, standing from her seat.

Jiraiya chuckled bitterly. "Why would anyone want to believe such things—you want me to believe it's all up to us to keep Naruto from harms way? It's the most stressful shit I've ever had to do, Tsunade! It pains me; of course I don't want to believe it—"

"Then you know I'm right. We have to start—" Tsunade explained, but Jiraiya interrupted her by hastily gesticulating.

"I will not—"

"Yes you will! If you do not concede willingly, I will make it your mission to do so, and you will not be able to get out of that. I will assign the task to you—I am Hokage. And you will obey. You got that?"

Grudgingly, he nodded, at a loss for words. He flared his nostrils as he glared Tsunade. "I got it, _Hokage-sama_." Jiraiya stood up, hands on his knees. "But, we can't tell Naruto—he'll get all riled up and they'll be no stopping him; he'll leave the Village and go chase down Akatsuki members or the Uchiha boy, whatever he sees fit. We have to keep the boy here, in the Village, out of harms way. And if we really are going to start looking into this—we have to increase the security at the gate—"

"Don't you think I know that? Now, we will have enough time to address this situation when we have both gotten some rest—you probably need it more than I do. You've been snapping at me this entire time." She paused. "Come by around twelve; I'll have Shizune bring us up some lunch.

"Sounds good," he admitted.

"And we can invite Naruto—"

Jiraiya cocked a brow and asked. "Why?"

"I think we should run a few tests on Naruto…" She said.

Then, turning toward the door, a sigh of relief followed him out. "_Whatever you say, Tsunade-sama_."

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

The two men walked solemnly down the corridors of Orochimaru's vast, dingy, grotesque lair. The air surrounding them cushioned their thought and movement. Tension overwhelmed the men as their thoughts zoomed in, clouding the tight thought sequence.

Both had questions, a sure dislike growing, but neither knew how to address the other. The questions grew jumbled and mutated with each step they took toward the exit.

Kabuto looked over his shoulder, eying the masked, hooded man strolling behind him. Surprisingly enough, the man smirked, the mask contorting at Satoshi's will. _That is not a mask—is it? Normal masks cannot do that… his face, maybe—_? One of questions obscuring his mind leveled his thought surface but Satoshi was faster.

"What do you do here?"

"I don't believe that's your business," Kabuto snapped quietly.

Suddenly, splitting through the delicate threads of their uncomfortable silence and awkwardness, Satoshi laughed. "Well, I have a reason to know so." The man waited to be addressed or questioned by the gray-haired, round-spectacle bearing man leading him through the endless labyrinth. When he received no recognition, he continued dreamily. "You see, I haven't met he man… or woman… that is supposed to work on the antidote—I have information to give them…"

"Is that so?" Kabuto asked half-heartedly, grinding his teeth. "Once Orochimaru-sama assigns the man to the task, I'm sure it wouldn't take long for him to inform you. Well, that is if it were necessary for you to know. However, I wouldn't be sticking my nose into places where it didn't belong if I were you."

Kabuto inhaled deeply, as he caught sight of the grand doorway, Satoshi's exit. A spin-tingling shock rushed down his back as the man realized the masked man's gaze lay intently upon the back of his head. He turned bitterly and matched his gaze. _What is your secret…?_

"Well, I believe thanks are in order, anyhow. I can see myself out from here," Satoshi commented slyly, pointing to the door, showing no form of grasp over Kabuto's threat or discomfort. "See you around, medicine man."

With that, as Satoshi haughtily rushed out, Kabuto caught understanding. The hooded man knew he was the one, and without any confirmation, set upon revealing his secret.

* * *

_Author's Notes: _The longest chapter as of yet. Hopefully you took into consideration the length and realized it was okay waiting for this to come out. Please review. If you have questions or comments, please, dont be shy-- ask/comment away!

And, I believe I want a beta reader. If any of you are beta readers and want to beta this story... or any of the other stories I'm writing, feel free to PM me. If not, I'll spend some time looking through some of my favorite authors to see if they are betas.

How do you like Satoshi-kun? :D

Next, I'm sure to have some sort of Naruto/Hinata friendship time! And, I think it's time for a two month time skip! Wanna know why-- read to find out!


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Chapter five

As planned, Jiraiya met with Tsunade the following day. The arranged time of their meeting at noon had set a damper on the man's anxiety and the compellingly wondrous dreams of his were lashed out upon, driven away. In place, his worst nightmares came prowling, ready to pounce. The naked women pleasuring and kissing one another disappeared in the oddest manners; in puffs of smoke and disintegrating splashes of rain, they left him with horrific scenes; the dainty, spellbinding, musty aroma and sliding screens dissolving with an awful stench of bloodshed. He imagined mangled female physiques splayed across the shiny floors of a brothel's exquisite high payer room; his nightmares arrived with a mention of nothing but self-preservation where he was the only one spared as monsters ravishingly consumed his loved ones and made slow work out of their frames. The monsters, he could not help but notice, had not face; not a feature that could help him recognize his fear.

Then, there had been a moment of time where Tsunade's torture reeled in the midst of a scaly monster devouring the remains of a tiny Nagato, the boy he missed, the boy he had left behind along with his teammates with only a prayer of safety. Yahiko and Konan, wailing their tiny hearts out in the mouths of the beasts, as they watched Nagato, black hair bloodied, die. He wondered why his first students had come back to haunt him—why, after so many years of trying to forget them, they haunted his dreams and appeared in his nightmares. Had he not done everything to forget about them—had he not, after leaving them? _Had I not left them for dead?_

Gratefully, morning came early as he woke in a tangle of damp sheets at seven o'clock. He tried his best to go back to sleep, forgetting why he had woken in a cold sweat but a small part of him drove Jiraiya out of bed away from the nightmares and lingering worries behind the dreams.

The five hours he had before the meeting he had planned to spend relaxing and calming his agitated being but instead, spent it less than frugally; he ended up arriving late after sauntering around aimlessly with nothing but a haunted little boy on his mind. And, when he refused to mention the reason for his tardiness, Tsunade scowled. Jiraiya was smart enough not to mention his worries of Naruto or the assassin or other things that had threatened to consume his being.

"How's your miso soup?" the busty woman asked the man hesitantly. A false-giddiness lingering on her tone of voice: it latched itself loosely to what she had to say as she smiled.

"Not bad," he replied flaccidly, shrugging his shoulder. "I could have gone for something else—"

"_Like what_, if I may ask?" He had not meant to offend the woman but obviously, he had. She eyed his narrowly.

"It's okay, this is just fine, really," He quickly added, reprimanding himself for possibly getting on her bad side. Turning away from her gaze, Jiraiya took his bowl into his lap and swiveled his chair to face the outside world. He sat several feet from the woman; each had taken to sitting across from the other on opposite sides of table's ends.

The window, he noticed, had been washed. It was so clean, so clear; he imagined it to be a portal to another dimension. However, all he could do was wish as he could never be as happy as the laughing, smiling vendors and villagers of Konohagakure. Well, at least not until he understood what had happened to that dagger. He couldn't help himself—he was like a dog with fleas; he had to do anything to stop the itch of the creatures biting at him. Until he scratched every single possibility, a chance of rest could not present itself.

"I thought it would be a better idea to have our little meeting in my office rather then to meet at a busy restaurant where there were bound to be people who could over hear our conversation. Stop your whining because I ordered something out—"

"You're the Hokage; you could have splurged on something better." Jiraiya argued mindlessly. Then, as she glared at him, he stopped his mumbling and said, "Sorry, I'll stop."

"Yes, _you will_," Tsunade said, huffing. She then softened and asked, "I have liquor in my cabinets; want some of that?"

_OH would I._ Jiraiya thought, his subconscious butting in; _No—it will only make you stray from your objective._

After a while of silence, he cleared his throat. "Tsunade, what are you going to do?" Making quick to changed the subject, he turned back to face the woman and looked her right in the eye.

"What are you talking about?" she asked dreamily, caught in the storm if his gaze. Had she ever looked more her age of twenty-one then: that girl stare of hers surely redirected thought from her genjustu.

Frustrated, Jiraiya slammed his bowl upon the table. "_Naruto_, Tsunade—! What are you going to _do_?"

"Oh," she began, sitting up straight. Her mind airy and her throat clear. "Well, I said I wanted to run tests—"

"—and then?" Jiraiya snapped.

Tsunade cocked a brow and narrowed her gaze as she grew suspicious. "I honestly don't know, right now—but once I have the results, we'll be able to proceed with whatever needs to be done."

"You sure that's all we can do?"

"For the moment, yes," Tsunade answered. She then sighed deeply. "Can you find him right now? I have a feeling you want to do something. You're antsy."

"NO, I'm _not_," he argued.

Tsunade chuckled slightly and responded. "Yes, you are. Your knees keep bumping into my own—you keep bouncing them around.

"OH, sorry, I'll go find him then." The man replied automatically as he rose from his feet. He kept his face stoic, unreadable as he pushed his chair back toward the desk. "Shall I bring him here or take him to the—?"

"Yeah, yeah, the hospital," she answered and waved her hand, gesturing him to go. "I'll meet you there.

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

Pale light shone through the sliding screen separating them from the blistering heat and dry winds. She could not believe her luck; on such a wondrously hot summer day in July, she found herself sitting beside her crush of many years. She was _so _close. It was such a mystery why she had not fainted yet. The heat was unbearable, they had come to touch shoulders from time to time, and Naruto was shirtless; yes, Hinata had come far from her timid thirteen year-old self of three years ago.

Gazing helplessly to her left, she hid her blush under her fringe as she twiddled her fingers in her lap. In the midst of a heated battle, Naruto's furrowed brows and adorably cute and concentrated face would be enough to sweep any girl off their feet, and to much avail, kept Hinata from thinking clearly. She watched him lick his lips as he searched for his next move.

"Hey, Hinata, what should I do…?" he whispered to her, leaning against her shoulder. His hot, musty breathe tickled her ears as she jumped. A small gasp escaped her lips before she turned to face the blond.

She stuttered as she gaped at him helplessly. He sent another questioning look her way and she knew not to lose it. Hinata gathered her courage as she had always done and nodded. Leaning in, she cupped her hands around his ears and advised him to—

"No cheating, Naruto. You cannot have Hinata-san help you. Do not let Naruto make you do things Hinata-san. It's troublesome, you know," Shikamaru admonished as Naruto began to whine. "But, you're so good at Shoji and with Hinata's help, it be a fair and equal match!"

Kiba howled with laughter as he leaned up behind Shikamaru. "It's because you aren't smart enough to beat Shikamaru by yourself, ain't it?"

It was past noon and the party had yet to cease as the boys had insisted the stay at the Hyuuga Compound until the morning. After catching up with Naruto, the boys had settled around under the canopy and waited for sunrise to hit. Hours passed by as the boys played naughty games and discussed the female body. That soon ended as Tenten and Hinata joined them sometime around seven.

Then, getting a quick bite to eat at Ichiraku Ramen, Neji allowed them all to come back to the Compound where they began heated battles of strength as Naruto was challenged to fight each guy present. Surprisingly, he beat Neji and Shikamaru after much thought on how to avoid paralysis from either male. Lee's win had come with a struggle as he learned Naruto had grown almost as fast as he, however, his determination ended the battle as he landed a rather dirty hit upon the blond. Even the slightest tap to the genitals brought pain, and Lee was well aware of that. He was grateful (as was Naruto) Hinata was there to help the healing process.

Kiba was a completely different story. It was a shame but, Naruto's win came rather easily as he made quick of Kiba and Akamaru. The boy was not all too happy but he was somewhat glad to know where he ranked and how much more he had to train to beat the blonde's ass.

Finally, Shino had called it quits about five minutes into his match. He had admitted to failure and told Naruto he would continue fighting because he would lose. Naruto knew his friend had shied away from pulling out the bug guns. It was very un-Shino-like for him to try to win a fight away from a mission.

Hinata frowned slightly as she sat back down and placed her hands into her lap once again. A warm, strong arm wrapped around her shoulder; Naruto pulled her close to him. His eyes were closed tight as he grinned and said, "Well, don't get mad at Hinata! I was the one cheating! Right, Hinata?"

She could not help but giggle. He was incredibly cute and sincere— but very dense.

As Hinata prepared to respond, the sliding screen opened and with the new arrival came a bright stream of sunlight poured upon the teens. "Who's the pretty little lady, Naruto? You're girlfriend?" Realizing Naruto's arm was still around her shoulder, Hinata _eep-ed_ and her blush grew a brighter red.

"What?! Hinata's not my girlfriend, Ero-sennin!" Naruto practically shouted, growing red in the face. He grew flustered and Hinata noticed he would not make further eye contact with her. She repressed the urge to frown as Naruto's arm left her shoulders as he stood hastily. His comment somewhat put a damper on her mood. "What are you doing here?"

Jiraiya shook his head in disapproval as Hinata caught his gaze. "I'm here to get you, of course. Tsunade wants to see you."

"Why?" Naruto asked calmly, hoping to repress his surprise and embarrassment.

"Come on—there's no time for questions! Do you want her to kick your ass for making her wait long?" Jiraiya asked the youth, gesticulating about.

Hinata smiled softly as Naruto cringed. "I guess not," Naruto answered solemnly. "I'm sorry, guys. See you later, I guess."

A mumble came from the group as Hinata locked away, too embarrassed about the man's previous comment about she and Naruto. It would be nice—_if I were his girlfriend, that is. But, he does not see me like that—_

"Bye, Hinata. See you," Naruto grinned casually and waved. "And, I'm sorry. I'll hurt the pervert for embarrassing you later, alright?" Hinata nodded in a dazed approval and smiled.

* * *

_Author's Notes: _Yeah, I think I'm going to stop this new tradition. This may be the first and last time I post two chapters in the same day. But, for this instance-- I had too. At the end of this chapter, I felt like making a quick transition from the moment Naruto leaves the 'party' to a timeskip but, I couldn't. I just made it into another chapter.

So, make sure to check out chapter six.

Alright, I'm watching the Olympics (Gymnastics) and Adultswim simultaneously, and I'm finally feeling the pain from my second day of volleyball practice. It's not as bad as last year though. Way easier. But, I didn't really edit it as much as I would have

Review, please. With comments, flames, suggestions, any errors you found.


	6. Chapter 6

Please, don't mind any errors, just let me know about them in a kinda way. Like in a review.

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Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto

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Chapter six

One Month Later…

"Well, is there something wrong with him?" The clock ticked noisily with each passing moment Tsunade hesitated with her answer. She bit her lip, refusing to reveal the results of the boy's tests. None but one had caught her interest; Naruto was as healthy as he had ever been. However, when the boy's blood tests returned with a final analysis and a long, thorough check completed by Shizune and then herself, what was found utterly astonished the woman.

She opened her mouth as to speak but all she could manage was to sputter foolishly. Closing her mouth, she glanced down to the sheet in her hand and sighed deeply. Jiraiya would go ballistic and go off into a rant about how awful a sensei he was; no doubt, he would blame himself. And she could not let him do that. But, had she a choice in the matter? Could she deny Jiraiya the results to his apprentice's blood tests? She believed, if she tried hard enough not to think about what an awful person she would be, she could.

"You should probably sit down," she whispered hoarsely. After the long, uncomfortable silence they had shared before she found her voice, Tsunade finally looked the man in the eye. However, his gaze was so intense, so powerfully concentrated and frighteningly fearful, that she had to shy away and turn away.

He did not sit and she felt his warmth close in on her. She watched his shadow approach from behind and tower over her. If she had not been so stable, rooted to the ground, cowering in the corner of her office would have come to her like second nature. Had she not been so stubborn, she would have left the room and her fear of his reaction without facing it.

Gripping the sheet with such strength that she feared that it would tear, she squared her shoulders as she went rigid and took in the musty air of her office and Jiraiya's anxious sweat. "I won't tell you a thing until you sit down, Jiraiya." This time, she had to restrain herself from yelling.

The shadow lingered for another couple of seconds (Tsunade wondered whether he was struggling with what to do or stubbornly ignoring her demand) until a shaky sigh floated by her ear. Jiraiya regressed back to the chair she had advised and, then, she suddenly turned.

Never had she had to struggle with the man less than today and she repressed a smile. She took a deep breath and spoke rapidly. "We still don't know what happened to that dagger, Jiraiya. And I cannot tell you whether something is the wrong with Naruto. Unfortunately, Shizune and I doubled checked this, Naruto's blood tests tell us that a sort of poison resides within his blood… and…"

"…_and_?"

She huffed exasperatedly, bringing her arms up high up over her shoulders; they fell rather rudely, smashing against her thighs. "And I don't know what to do!"

"You can't be serious? A poison?" The man rose to his feet and ran his hand through his hair ruthlessly. _Like a disease or something?_ He gaped helplessly as he waited for her to crack a grin and tell him she had only been joking. _Only_ joking.

"And I can't be sure what it is, really. Nothing actually seems to be _wrong _with Naruto yet, Jiraiya," Tsunade added, only slightly assuring the man of anything. Then, she said, "Don't worry, yet, it can't be a disease."

Mockingly, he sneered her way and rolled his eyes. Jiraiya crossed his arms and looked away. "At least, I hope not," she whispered in hope he would not hear. But, he did, and that tempted him to then throw his arms to the air and sulk exasperatedly. _It's all your fault little Jiraiya, if only you'd been stronger, faster, more vigilant_, said the demanding voice of his conscious that had surprisingly always taken to the mannerisms of his old sensei, Fukasaku. There had never been a time where he could recall the little voice had taken Sarutobi-sensei's tone—was it his perverted sensei had always looked upon him like a little brother, or second son? _That is right, little Jiraiya. If only you had not spent all your time _investigating_ none of this would have ever happened._

He grew annoyed with the voice sooner than he would have hoped and, thinking for himself, he questioned Fukasaku. _Why are you blaming me for something that we are not sure of. What if there really isn't anything wrong with the kid?_

_Do not try to act dumb, little Jiraiya. Fukasaku-sensei knows everything—like it or not—, and unfortunately, things will start to go wrong and little Naruto-kun will find themselves sick_... or worse….

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

The warm tangle of sheets, damp and comforting, suffocated him in a weak grasp. The curtains hung still, windows shut closed. His beautiful and caring nurse would not let him out of his sight, and he could not be more thankful.

"Naruto-kun? Do you need anything?" Hinata careened her head through the door's frame. "I can bring you some soup."

He smiled at her shy demeanor. She was just too good for him. Hinata really was his best friend, the nicest girl ever. "No, thanks, but, if you bring me some ramen…." There was no way the dark-haired woman would bring him what he truly desired; she couldn't stop telling him that the only way to get rid of his nasty cold was for him to rest and avoid all unhealthy, everyday snacks. That included ramen (which truly set a damper on his mood) and he head tried to persuade her to give him some.

"No, Naruto-kun! You must get better before you eat any more ramen!" she argued relentlessly.

"But, I am better, see!" He threw the sheets to the side and sat up. He grinned despite the overwhelming burst of pain rushing to his head, and jumped up, only to stumble to the ground. Barely had he set his elbow to prop his head up when Hinata kneeled at his side.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine!" Naruto turned to look for what had tripped him when he spotted that his sheets had mysteriously tangled around his ankles. Groaning, he let his face fall to the ground in defeat. Too, he did not attempt to stop Hinata when she brushed her fingers underneath him and placed her arms against his chest and shoulders. Hinata looked very fragile to him but, she had surprised many upon many occasions; she was very strong and could stand on her own two feet—no one could knock her down. She was very persistent when it came down to what she was fighting for.

"What did I tell you?" She admonished softly, never known to raise her voice. In fact, since complaining about his thundering headache, she had made sure to speak in softer tones. "The more you move around, the harder it'll be for your headache to go down."

Naruto chuckled and rubbed his forehead. "You _are_ the medic-nin—"

"In _training_," Hinata added, a small blush burning on her cheeks.

"Looks like you might be sick too. Your face is kinda red, Hinata!" Naruto teased, gently brushing his fingertips across Hinata's cheek. He may have been very blunt and dense at times but he knew when she was flustered and decided against making the situation worse. Never could he figure out why she grew so flustered around him; he was not annoying, was he? Though, Naruto did think it was rather cute, her blush and the embarrassed look upon her face.

"There's the sick patient!" A squeal of delight rang through her voice as the girl strode into his room. As promised, Sakura-chan had stopped by (ruining the moment just in time, though, it could not be helped)!

Striding along, she grinned and seemed to be holding something. Naruto sat up to see what it was she had brought him and let his eyes wander wide. He began with her face; had it ever been so angelic, so bubbly? He gazed into the deep pools of her green eyes and waded in the waters of her friendliness. Sakura had never been so nice, being prone to hit and kick him at encounter. Maybe it was because he was sick, and she would not take advantage of it. Naruto did not think about it in such a manner however, he wanted to think that she was being so kind, so attentive, so _there_ because she was finally coming around.

Then, he traveled down, tracing the lines of her cheekbones and neck, then to her collarbone. Average sized breasts met his watery eyes. What man could help but stare at any woman, especially if she was bending over. Jiraiya always said that it was like an invitation and if she did not know you were looking, to continue until she did. Silently, Naruto admonished himself for listening to his perverted sensei. When had he become a pervert like that old man?

However, he continued his inspection, taking note of her exposed midriff. Such a tight, little shirt she wore; for missions, and walking around the village— how could she not be asking for attention? But he did not continue to linger on the matter.

Her skirt, _wow_. Now that skirt gave a whole new meaning to the word _mini_. Seriously: _Sakura, you tease me. You must really want me, huh? _Naruto thought coyly, sending a smirk her way. _I thought Ino had no influence on your appearance…_

Naruto's gaze then fell upon what she was carrying _finally_ and he could not help but cry out in joy. There it was; the one thing in life he could not live without, the one thing that energized him and made me happy. "Sakura-chan, you brought me ramen!"

"Who says it's for you?" Sakura inquired mockingly with a slight frown etched upon her face. She then raised the package and sniffed it. "Smells delicious, don't you think, Hinata?"

Desperate for a sign of mercy, he gawked over at his best friend. "Sakura-san, I don't think that's right. You shouldn't be teasing him when he knows he can't have any of it anyway—"

_Yeah, Sakura-chan—what Hinata said! Stop _teasing_ me!_ "Oh, you are so wrong, Hinata. I think he could have had this, but, chose to give up the right to do so when he _checked me out_!" Sakura voice had begun mockingly sweet but turned bitter and angry at the mention of Naruto's prying of her assets. A small twinge of pain hit him and he winced slightly, and Hinata noticed, telling Sakura not to raise her voice because of his condition.

"Sakura-san, I don't think you should blame Naruto for something he obviously wasn't doing," Hinata whispered harshly, her voice then growing softer as she addressed Naruto. "He wasn't—were you, Naruto-kun?"

"That's right, Sakura-chan, I wasn't. I'm not a pervert like Ero-sennin," Naruto quickly assured her as he quietly hoped for his safety. Then, as though he had asked for a miracle, he began coughing and Sakura forgot about the whole ordeal.

"Oh, Naruto," she purred. "Are you alright? Hinata, has he been taking his medicine?"

Naruto could not believe what she spotted next: as he gazed Hinata's way, he saw her roll her beautiful, lavender eyes. Even if Sakura had not noticed it, he surely had. Was she irritated with Sakura-chan? "Of course he has, I've made sure of it," the girl responded callously. _Who does she think she is? I've taken good care of Naruto-kun for the last couple of days! _

"That's good, I'll take your word for it," Sakura said. "And, if you think it is okay, I'll leave this here… for Naruto. I don't know if you want him eating this stuff. I would advise against it but, he deserves a treat once in a while."

She winked and placed the package upon his bedside cabinet. Sakura waved them goodbye and glided out of the room. "See you later, Naruto, Hinata."

Now that Sakura was gone, that left them alone again. The perfect chance to ask her about that nasty eye-roll; he was very curious after all. "Say, Hinata, you like Sakura right?"

Honestly, he had not expected her stumble as she did; Hinata, shocked, tripped over Naruto's bed—he _was _blunt. He reacted instantly and dived out of bed and caught her as she was about to make contact to the hard ground. Her face was bright red, he thought it was because she had just embarrassed herself but, really, he had no idea she still had to get used to the idea of his touch. Naruto, a male, a boy, a guy, the one person she had always felt so close to because of his determination, strength, and courage, the boy she _loved_—would she ever feel comfortable in his arms while he was oblivious to her feelings? The blond, no matter how smart he had become over the years of training, was still a very dense male having a real hard time understanding a woman's feelings and… emotions overall.

"I'm sorry, Hinata! I should have pulled my sheets back onto my bed! Should have known they were a hazard—made me fall too! Are you alright?" Naruto lifted Hinata into a sitting position and leaned toward her, an inquiring look set hard upon his face.

Quickly, Hinata jumped up and began rubbing her shoulders. She lowered her head, whispering, "Y-yes, Naruto-kun. I just t-tripped, it was not your fa-fault."

Naruto furrowed his brows curiously as the woman turned away from him. "You didn't answer my question—"

"Well, of course I l-like her: She's a friend." The woman confessed, and the way she fiddled with her hands, Naruto was sure she was either lying or just uncomfortable with the question.

He decided to let it go; he would not pester her, though he knew she had to be lying. "Alright, as long as you're okay! Now… can I have that ramen?"

-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-/\-

Brazen and cold, strong and abrasive, the laughter rang through the dark and massive corridors of the underground labyrinth. After waiting for two months, he would finally have conformation of the success (or failure) of the mission. He hoped, and suspected, it had come out a complete success. Once working with Satoshi, and getting to know him and see how he worked, Orochimaru was far from pleased with the man. He was _delighted_.

In his private room, Orochimaru waited for Satoshi to give him the news. Smirking, he glanced at either side; Kabuto and Sasuke both sported scowls and glares. It seemed they shared a hatred for his little assassin.

"Enlighten me, Satoshi-_kun_," Orochimaru purred, leaning back onto his stiff pillows.

Satoshi was kneeling by the bed, masked face hooded. Orochimaru sensed the man's anxiety rising but waited, knowing it would bring him much pleasure to hear what he had to say. He would not spoil anything by rushing the moment.

"My source that lives within Konohagakure sent word about the boy's condition," Satoshi began with a deep, collected sigh. "Says that he has a cold."

_He's disappointed?_ _Oh, that's right; he doesn't know the full extent of the poison…_ "That's great to hear. All's going according to plan, Satoshi-kun."

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_Author's Notes: _Did you honestly like it? The plot thickens, too. What do you have to say to what Orochimaru said to Satoshi, and vice versa? Ehh?

Notice small NaruHina moments in these last two chapters? Weren't they somewhat cute? Did you even like them? Well, if you didn't-- they'll get better soon. Don't worry.

Will Sakura ruin the fluff in later chapters? That's a sort of question you want to be asking me in reviews, people!


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